Any board of directors or other secretarial appointments will be made at the sole discretion of the president of the association. The board of directors of the International Shinjinbukan will consist of a minimum of 5 members and

The duties and responsibilities of all the Association’s administrative positions are as follows:

President – To teach, preserve, practice and develop Shinjinbukan Karate; to recommend, approve or disapprove changes to the Bylaws; and to lead the International Association.

Board of Directors (Member at Large) – Members at large are appointed by the President of the Shinjinbukan to directly assist the president of the association, to oversee all the administrative & business operations, to revise the Association Bylaws as recommended by the President; and to oversee the work of the Director of Testing and Ranking. in the event that the board of directors does not have the minimum 5 members, as could occur when more than one positions is held by a single individual, member at large positions will be named to help fill the board.

Director of Testing & Ranking – To directly supervise the teaching & training standards of all Shinjinbukan Karate as directed by the president of the Association.

Onaga Karate Dojo Secretary – To coordinate all official events as directed by the president of the association, to maintain the official administrative records of the Shinjinbukan Onaga Karate Dojo and the Shinjinbukan International Association for publishing into the official website shinjinbukan.net. Additional duties include supervising the work of the Association treasurer and liaison with all International members.

Onaga Karate Dojo Treasurer – To maintain all financial records of the Onaga Karate Dojo and the Shinjinbukan International Association, as well as to report to the Association Secretary.

International Shinjinbukan Treasurer – To work with the Onaga Karate Dojo Treasurer to maintain the financial records of the International branches.

International Shinjinbukan Director – To coordinate with and be the international counterpart of the Onaga Karate Dojo Secretary.

Article IV. Affiliation

Section 4.01 People wishing to learn and train in Shinjinbukan Karate but are not active members of a certified dojo can choose to affiliate themselves with the Shinjinbukan by way of a the Shinjinbukai.

Section 4.02

Affiliation is only available on an individual basis. There are no ”affiliate Dojo” permitted inthe International Shinjinbukan Karate Association.

Section 4.03 – Affiliation by way of the Shinjinbukai will require sponsorship by an active Shinjinbukan member.

Article V. Shinjinbukai

Section 5.01

Purpose
“Shinjinbukai affiliates” are not required to become Shinjinbukan members, but must follow all the administrative regulations of the Association, including payment of all applicable fees.

Section 5.02

Petition for membership
All Shinjinbukai affiliates wishing to transfer into Shinjinbukan as full members must apply directly to the president of the Association through their sponsor. All applicants will be evaluated & issued a Shinjinbukan rank. Prior Yudansha ranks are not necessarily transferred or recognized and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis upon request..

Section 5.03

Probationary period

All martial arts instructors wishing to pursue the teaching of Shinjinbukan Karate are required to become “Shinjinbukai affiliates” for a minimum period of two years.

Article VI. Rank

Section 6.01

Mudansha Rank (all ranks below Sho-dan, 1st degree black belt)

(i) Will be issued by the Shibu Dojo. The decision of when to promote a student through the ranks below Sho-dan will be at the discretion of the Shibu-cho

(ii) Certificates will be signed and issued by a certified Shibu-cho in good standing with the International Shinjinbukan.

(iii) Each Shibu-cho has the authority and discretion to structure the ranks below Black Belt as deemed appropriate in his/her region

Section 6.02

Yudansha ranks

(i) Ranks of Sho-dan, Ni-dan and San-dan may be awarded at the discretion of a Shibu-cho of at least Yon-dan.

(ii) All ranks Yon-dan and above will be issues by the Shinjinbukan Kaicho.

(iii) All International Shinjinbukan rank certificates starting from Sho-dan and above will be issues by the Shinjinbukan Honbu Dojo. After awarding ranking the responsible Shibu-cho will notify the Honbu Dojo and recommend that a certificate be provided.

(iv) Certificates issues by the Honbu Dojo will be delivered to the responsible Shibu-cho who will then present it to the recipient.

Section 6.03

Yudansha Grading Requirements

(i) Shodan: Yobi undo, Reigi saho,Tsuki, tachi-machiwara, Keri, sagi-machiwara, Tachi kata,Tenshin,Kigu undo, Hojo undo,Seiri undo

(ii) Nidan: All Kata in order, Kihon Gata 1,2,3, Naihanchi Gata 1,2,3 Pinan Gata 1,2,3,4,5 Chinto, Passai no Sho, Passai no Dai, Kusanku no Sho, Kusanku no Dai

(iii) Sandan: A total of 30 techniques, including 10 iri kumi technique.

(iv) Yondan: Free Tenshin, A Ti Fa in both Tsuki and Keri

(v) Godan: Must be running an active Dojo, must possess the ability to teach the entire Shinjinbukan syllabus

(vi) Rokudan: The ability to do more than 30 iri kumi from each of the 3 kakie positions. As well as all the machiwara technique,Tsuki,Keri,Tenshin and all the Kata

(vii) Nanadan: Minimum of 5 years after Rokudan and at least 40 years of age

(viii) Hachidan: Minimum of 5 years after Nanadan, you have been recognized beyond any doubt to have a distinguished character and recognized for your Busai in Ryukyu no Karate Bushi. Note: there will be no more than 1 hatchidan per country outside of Okinawa

(ix) Kyudan: As a Kyudan you posses the entire knowledge of the Shinjinbukan and the ability to do it. As well you will be the director of the international representatives and will promote and enforce the Shinjinbukan rules, philosophy and teachings

(x) Judan: In all practical terms there will be not Judan in the Shinjinbukan. Judan will only be given as an honorary rank upon the death of an active Kyudan, or if a Kyudan reaches the age of 80 years and is still an active shihan.

Article VII. Dojo

Section 7.01

Only those authorized by the Shinjinbukan Kancho will use the name Shinjinbukan in their respective Dojo..

Section 7.02

All new dojo branches require authorization from Shinjinbukan Kancho prior to being officially opened. All new Fuku Shibu Dojos will fall under the direct control and supervision of a Shibu-cho

Section 7.03

Dojo name

(i) The name of each individual dojo shall be approved either by the Honbu Dojo.

(ii) Each dojo will use either the name of the neighborhood, sports center to which it belongs or the instructors name. (i.e. Shinjinbukan Yonabaru Dojo or Shinjinbukan Issaquah Dojo; ABC Sports Club Shinjinbukan Dojo, Shinjinbukan Mora Dojo or Shinjinbukan Onaga Dojo)

(iii) In the case of a geographic specific name, the name should be as specific and local as possible to avoid conflicts with future dojo.

Article VIII. Structure and Titles

Institution	Title
本部道場 Honbu Dojo (Association Headquarters)	館長 Kancho (Chief Instructor) 会長 Kaicho (Association President)	World Headquarters of the Shinjinbukan. The dojo at which Kai-cho teaches
支部道場 Shibu Dojo (Branch Dojo)	支部長 Shibu-cho (Director / Branch Manager)	Authorized representative and direct student of the Honbu Dojo
副支部道場 Fuku Shibu (Sub-branch)	道場長 Dojo-cho (Dojo Chief Instructor)	Reports to and is supervised by a Shibu-cho

Section 8.01

Rank and teaching licenses.

All instructors in the Shinjinbukan will be supervised and answer to an accredited instructor or be an accredited instructor that directly answers to the Kokusai Shinjinbukan and the Honbu Dojo.

Accredited instructors will have one of the following titles.

(i) Renshi

(ii) Kyoshi

(iii) Hanshi

Although rank is often considered when assigning instructor accreditation, it is only a guideline.

Article IX. Removal, expulsion from good standing

Section 9.01

Grounds for expulsion are not limited to, but include the following:

(i) Defaming or misusing the Shinjinbukan name

(ii) Misrepresenting ones rank

(iii) misusing rank for personal gain or profit rather than merit of the student

Section 9.02

Expulsion from the Shinjinbukan is at the sole discretion of the Shinjinbukan Kancho

Section 9.03

Prior to a formal expulsion written warning will be issued from the Honbu Dojo. The written warning will include an explanation of the offending behaviour and a suggestion on how to remedy the issue, as well as a date by which things need to be resolved.

Section 9.04

If the situation results in an expulsion, a written letter of expulsion will be issued by the Honbu Dojo to the parties involved, with copies made available to all Shibu-cho of the association, and then released to the public in general.

Article X. Responsibilities and Authorities

Section 10.01

Membership in local, regional and national associations will be at the discretion of the Shibu-cho. Since Political and legal conditions are different in each region, membership in national sports federations or regional martial arts groups will be determined locally.

Section 10.02

Membership in a local, regional or national association, the Shinjinbukan Shibu-cho and affiliated dojo will be expected to be members in good standing of that organization, adhere to its rules and regulation and represent the Kokusai Shinjinbukan in a way that is worthy of the Shinjinbukan name and crest.

Section 10.03

The sole exception to the above will be with regard to rank. A Shinjinbukan members Dan rank can only be recognized by a regional or national organization and not awarded or promoted.

Article XI. Contributions Fee structure

Section 11.01

At the end of each calendar year all fees need to be paid for the subsequent year. Each Shibu-cho will report to either the Honbu Dojo treasurer or an international secretary if there are any changes to fee structure.

(The Honbu Dojo recognizes that each geographical and political region will have different capacities to contribute financially, and will work with the Shibu-cho to develop a fee structure that is appropriate for the circumstances)

Article XII. Annual Accounting

Section 12.01

The financial records shall be maintained by the association treasurer at the Honbu Dojo

Section 12.02

Each calendar year, the Shinjinbukan Onaga Karate Dojo Treasurer, assisted by the International Treasurer will provide a full and complete account of the condition of the association to the all Shibu-cho.

Section 12.03

The association balance sheet will be available either in written or electronic form to all Shibu-cho

Section 12.04

Dojo fees, ranks fees and individual membership fees will be collected by the one or more appointed international secretaries and delivered to the Honbu Dojo.

Article XIII. Bank Account

Section 13.01

The Association may select a bank for the purpose of opening a bank account. Funds in the bank account shall be controlled by the treasurer and/or an appointed international secretary.

Article XIV. Changes to Rules and Association Structure

Section 14.01

Definitions for this section –

“changes” – refers to any changes, proposed, delivered or otherwise to the rules and association structure as outlined in the Shinjinbukan International by-laws

“documentation” – refers to only to official documentation (i.e. documentation approved by the president) containing information regarding the rules, association structure or official workings of Shinjinbukan International including, but not restricted to by-laws, rank requirements, web-based documents and others; this term does not refer to information contained on websites that does not refer to official Shinjinbukan International material (e.g., opinion articles, history articles, etc.)

“official notice” – refers to any notice given by the President of Shinjinbukan International in any form, regarding any aspect of these bylaws, including but not restricted to written notice, verbal notice or other forms of communication from the President of Shinjinbukan International or the president’s designated representative (e.g. Association Vice-President)

“president” – refers to the President of the Shinjinbukan International (Kai-cho)

Section 14.02

Procedures

General

Any changes to the rules and association structure of Shinjinbukan International, including any changes to documentation, the articles contained in this document, or other documents that are under the jurisdiction of Shinjinbukan International, as stipulated in this document, must be approved in writing by the president.

i. Unilateral changes to any documentation as defined in this section may be made by or at the discretion of the president, with or without consultation with any other member of Shinjinbukan International or its affiliates.

Proposed Changes

Proposed changes to documentation must be submitted in writing and will include the following: name, rank and dojo of the person submitting the proposed change; the reason/rationale for why they are proposing the change; and, the proposed change referring to specific sections of this document or any other document as described in section 14.01(1) observing the following guidelines:

Any member of the Honbu Dojo, a Shibu-Dojo or a Fuku Shibu may propose changes to the rules and association structure of Shinjinbukan International. All proposed changes, will following these general guidelines:

a. Proposed changes from kyu and lower dan ranks will be delivered in writing to the sempai in each respective dojo if applicable; in these cases the sempai will vet the proposed change and determine if the proposed change should be forwarded to the local dojo instructor;

01. In the cases describe in section 14.01(2)a, sempai will forward all proposed changes to the dojo instructors, unless they deem the proposal to be inappropriate, frivolous, or disrespectful in any way

b. Senior ranking sempai and dojo instructors may propose changes in writing to their respective Shibu-cho; Shibu-cho will vet the proposed changes and decide whether or not the proposal will be forwarded to the president; if deemed by the Shibu-cho to have merit, the proposal will be forwarded to the president

Approval of Proposed Changes

Proposed changes as described in section 14.01(2) may only be approved by the president or by a designated representative of the president (e.g. Association Vice-President)

Implementation of Approved Changes

All approved changes will be implemented by means of official notice delivered by the president, or their representative, forwarded by each Shibu-cho to all members and affiliates of Shinjinbukan International for which each Shibu-cho is responsible.

Changes to all documentation will be made by the person responsible for maintaining and/or storing those documents (e.g. changes to web-based documents will be made by the individual responsible for maintaining the web-site etc.) only upon direction from the Shibu-cho.

All changes are official, upon issuing of official notice of approval by the president or their designated representative.
Any changes made to documentation without receiving official notice by the president will be dealt with in a manner deemed appropriate by the president
Any changes made to documentation without receiving official notice from the president are not binding on any member of Shinjinbukan International or its affiliates until such time as official notice has been forwarded by the president to the Shibu-cho.
Once official changes have been implemented, all members and affiliates of Shinjinbukan International are required to comply with those changes.

Enforcement of Approved Changes

Enforcement of approved changes will be the responsibility of: senior students of the Honbu Dojo, all Shibu-cho, and all Dojo-cho, observing strict dojo etiquette of the Shinjinbukan.

Article XV. Trademark & Publications.

Section 15.01

The name Shinjinbukan, the crest and all future digital or print publications are the intellectual property of Shinjinbukan Kancho and the International Association.

Section 15.02

The association reserves the right to trademark the name Shinjinbukan worldwide.

Section 15.03

All members worldwide are forbidden to trademark the name Shinjinbukan in their geographical and political region without written authorization from the Shinjinbukan Kancho.

Section 15.04

All trademark applications already initiated or completed will be transferred to the Shinjinbukan Kancho and all expenses will be reimbursed.

Section 15.05

All commercial digital or print publications using the name Shinjinbukan must be reported to the president through the International Secretary, and will not be endorsed by the association without prior approval.

Section 15.06

Any extensive media coverage about individual Shinjinbukan members and events will be reported to the International Association.

Section 15.07

The Shinjinbukan International Association reserves the right to take legal action against individuals who attempt to steal or misuse the name Shinjinbukan.

Article XVI. Keiko-Gi

Section 16.01

The formal uniform of the Shinjinbukan will be a White cotton canvas uniform, in the manner of traditional karate uniforms.

The jacket sleeves will be no longer than elbow length.

The official Shinjinbukan crest will be worn on the uniform.

The Japanese characters for “Shinjinbukan karate Do” can be applied to the left sleeve cuff and the name of the dojo or Shibu in Japanese to the cuff of the right sleeve. The names and crest can be either printed on the Gi jacket, embroidered or applied in the form of a patch.

The only permissible colour for the embroidery or printing on the jacket will be black,

Section 16.02

Black belts can be embroidered in gold or yellow Japanese characters. One end with the student’s name and the other with the Japanese characters for “Shinjinbukan Karate Do”, the name of the dojo or Shibu, or a combination. (i.e. Shinjinbukan Karate New York Dojo)

Section 1.01

Section 1.02

Section 2.01

Section 2.02

To supervise all branches of the Shinjinbukan internationally and domestically in Japan

Section 2.03

To directly supervise the awarding of Kyu and Dan rankings as well as instructor credentials.

Section 2.04

Section 2.05

Section 3.01

Membership of the association will consist of all direct students of the Onaga Karate Dojo in Okinawa, known as the Shinjinbukan Honbu dojo currently in good standing, as well as any students in good standing of a recognized branch dojo.

Section 3.02

The duties and responsibilities of all the Association’s administrative positions are as follows: President – To teach, preserve, practice and develop Shinjinbukan Karate; to recommend, approve or disapprove changes to the Bylaws; and to lead the International Association.